Cement testing device



Sept. 6, 1938. R. BORTSCH CEMENT TESTING DEVICE Filed Jan. 14, 1937 mm aw Patented Sept. 6, 1938 {STATES PTEN'F messes CEMENT TESTING DEWKCE Robert Box-tech, St. Peter, near Graa, Austria Application January 14, 1937, orial No. mates In Austria January Elli, tilde 6 Claims. (Cl. fitid-lll The invention relates to a device for automatiwall 3 as at t, the container being filled with the cally indicating or ascertaining the period of substance to be tested such as a mixture of cement time which is required tor the setting of any and water in form of a pulp or paste, as indi substances which starting from a liquid or plascated at ll. tic state become gradually hard and solid. This The operation of the device is as follows: 5 so-called setting" time and more particularly The container ill with the cement pulp it is the time which is required until the setting beplaced underneath the rod and the clocl; l is gins is an important feature of various building set going by starting the pendulumi. The rod similar materials such as mortar, plaster El will then gradually sink into the cement pulp and more particularly ct cement or mixtures of ll and no substantial resistance will be ofiered any of these materials with sand and the like by the cement as long as it is not solidified so the term of concrete. When in the following that the normal operation of the clock is not description of my invention the term cement impaired during a certain period of time. Howis used, it is understood that it is used as an ever, as soon as the cement starts its setting ac= example for any kind of material which is catlon, a considerable mechanical resistance will cable or" setting, hardening or binding. be opposed to the rod E in its further sinking i is the object of my invention to provide an and the clock-work will be stopped as it is no apparatus which is very robust and simple in its more under the action of the weight oi the (5 construction and operation, so as to be useful and the additional weight or weights i. Pro- L not only for laboratory tests but to be adapted vldeol'tliat the clock 9 had been set going at the especially for use on the building site and to indipoint oi'time when the water had been added to cats or record the beginning 01 the setting in the cement, the interval between start and stop an automatic manner. of the clock-work corresponds to the period re- My new device consists of a clock-work or quired for the cement to start the setting action. watch which is connected. with a feeling mem- This period is indicated on the dial it of the her in the form of a rod, pin or bar extending clock by the position of the hands it and it with its free end into the cement or other subwhich to this nd h been advantageously s t stance to be tested. The rod is gradually moved on a predetermined original position such as ll forward by the clock-work so as to penetrate into (12) to facilitate the reading. By means of a the'cement very slowly, while the clock-work is little chain ii the chain including the rod 5 39 stopped as soon as the rod cannot further sink may be wound up to return into its normal posiinto the cement, i. e. as soon as the cement begins tion, in the manner known per se in connection to set and hence offers an increasing mechanical with weight-operated clocks. resistance to the entering rod. The reading or measuring results obtained by For a complete understanding of my lnventhe device may be compared with those of any 35 tion, the following description should be read in known precision meter by way of parallel tests connection with the accompanying schematic and 'a characteristic curve or table may be made CJi - drawing, in which: up for the device accordingly. Or the driving Fig. 1 is a front view of a preferred form of force required for the clock, the cross-section,

40 the device; shape and weight ofthe rod 6 may be changed 40 Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the device shown in' or adjusted, for example by means of an ex- Fig. 1; y changeable head piece, in such manner that the Fig. 3 is a front view of another form of my readings of the device correspond.- to those of the new device. precision instrument. Moreover it is possible to Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, a clock-work l of effect such correspondence by changing the force 45 any suitable known form and construction and required for bringing the clock-work to standhaving a pendulum 2 is secured to the wall 4 as still or by changing the speed of the clock-work at 3. The driving force for the operationof the by changing the length of the pendulum. clock I is imparted to it by means of a. weight According to Fig. 3 a clock I is provided which suspended at a little chain or the like 5 in conis spring-operated in known manner and lie 50 ventional manner. However, instead of the ordlsigned in a special form so as to meet the spenary weight of the clock a rod 6 is provided which cial purpose for which it is intended. To this in addition may carry one or more weights 1. end, a pinion l3 may be provided which for in- Underneath the rod 6 is an open container Ill stance may participate in the rotary movement resting on the bracket 9 which is secured to the of the shaft which has fast on it the hour-hand 55 or the minutehand, respectively, according to the speed which is required. The pinion i3 engages the rack I! which in turn is connected or integral with the rod 6 having the same function as described above with reference to Figs. 1 and 2 and extending into the container ID with the cement pulp II. It will be understood that the clock-work I is brought to standstill as the cement is going to solidify and the rod 6 cannot penetrat further into it.

The clock I may be controlled by a pendulum 2 as in Fig. 1, but preferably it has a balance mechanism and it may be mounted together with the container H) on a common base plate l8 having a foot plate I! for placing it on any suitable surface.

It will be evident that the device shown in Fig. 3 may be made very small and compact so as to be easily portable or even to fit into a pocket or bag. It is very robust in its use and operative irrespective of its accurate horizontal position. I 'may cause the instrument to be in agreement, as to its measuring values, with a precision instrument, in the same manner as described before with regard to the device shown in Figs. 1 and 2, but the balance mechanism and the driving spring will be adjusted in this case rather than the pendulum length.

If the setting process of larger surfaces of cement or concrete is to be tested, the instrument shown in Fig. 3 may be placed upon a suitable support or directly upon the surface to be tested, with its foot plate l9, and the rod 8 may extend through a bore 20 in the foot plate l9 and engage the surface to be tested. The device in this case should be suiliciently heavy in weight or held to the surface to be tested by suitable additional weights or other means. In this manner it is possible to test the setting-time of the substances in situ, if desired.

I claim:--

1. In a device for indicating the period of time required for the setting of solidifying substances, in combination, a clock-work, a feeling member co-acting with the clock-work being adapted to sink gradually into the solidifying substance synchronously with the gradual movement of the clock-work mechanism, and stop the clock-work when the said feeling member is stopped from sinking further due to the setting of the solidifying substance.

2. In a device for determining the period of time required for the setting of solidifying substances, in combination, a clock-work, means for controlling, the operation of the clock-work by means of a pendulum, means for winding up the clock-work, a feeling member adapted for movement in a vertical direction and driving the clock-work by its weight, whereby said feeling member is slowly sunk into the substance to be tested and stops the clock-work, as soon as the substance due to its beginning solidification resists the further sinking of the feeling member.

3. In a device for determining the period of time required for the setting of solidifying substances, in combination, a spring-operated clockwork, a feeling member adapted for movement in a vertical direction and being driven by the spring power of the clock-work, whereby said feeling member is slowly sunk into the substance to be tested and stops the clock-work, as soon as the substance due to its beginning solidification resists the further sinking of the feeling member, a foot plate and a container on the foot plate for receiving the substance to be tested.

4. In a device for determining the period of time required for the setting of substances like cement, in combination, a spring-operated clockwork, a rackand pinion gear, a feeling member integral with the rack and adapted for movement in a vertical direction and being driven by the spring power of the clock-work through said pinion, whereby said feeling member is slowly sunk into the substance to be tested and stops the clockwork, as soon asthe substance due to its beginning solidification resists the further sinking of the feeling member.

5. In a device for determining the period of time required for the setting of solidifying substances, a substance having an aperture therein, a feeler movable through said aperture, and registering means mounted on the foot plate for registering the period of movement prior to the solidification of the substance into which the feelcr is projected.

6. In a device for determining the period of time required for the setting of solidifying substances, in combination, a spring operated clockwork, a rack and pinion gear operated thereby, a feeling member supported by and moved with the rack whereby the feeling member is slowly sunk into the substance to me tested and stops the clockwork when the substance has gained a certain degree of solidification, and an apertured foot plate supporting the clock and adapted to rest on the substance being tested through which the feeling member is movable for penetrating substances thereunder.

ROBERT BORTSCH.

foot plate adapted to rest on the said 

